Machine for producing knitted fabric



Nov. 7, 1944.

E. QWILDT El AL MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTING FABRIC Filed April 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney Nov. 7, 1944. E. WILDT. EI'AL v MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTING FABR N2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1943 pl/W 3 w 4 Z1 I...

Patented Nov. 7, 1944.

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING KNITTED FABRIC Edwin Wildt, Henry Harold Holmes, and mm Cyril Herbert Hurd, Leicester, England, assignore to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a company of Great Britain Application April'z, 1943, Serial No. 481,607 In Great Britain March 16, 1942 Claims. (01. (so-135i This invention relates to improvements in methods of and machines for producing knitted fabric, and has for its object to provide a method of and machine for producing patterned fabrics with novel characteristics such as those described in our co-pendin'g application Serial No. 481,608, filed April 2, 1943.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a circular links and links knittingmachine of the superposed rotary needle cylinder type constructed in accordancepwith said invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of so much of the aforesaid machine as is necessary to illustrate the application thereto of the present in- Vention,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic detail plan view showing portions of the bottom needle cylinder and associated common carrier for the wrap thread guides and transfer instruments,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view illustrating a few needles of the machine co-operating with lap or wrap thread guides and loop or stitch transferring elements to produce characteristic novel eifects, and

Figure 4 is a somewhat similar detail perspective view showing unknitted loops of embroidery thread knocked over with knitted loops, 1. e. loops drawn by the needles.

,Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings. I

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the rotary plain (bottom) and rib (top) cylinders of the machine are indicated at 2 and 3 respectively. One of the double-ended needles is shown at 4, and 6 and 6 represent bottom and top needleoperating sliders by means of which the stitch forming movements are imparted to the said needle and also by means of which the needle can be transferred from one cylinder to the other. Thus, by appropriate prearranged or selective transfer of needles 4 from one cylinder to the other, certain needles can be caused to produce purl or rib stitches while others knit plain stitches and many and diverse stitch effects can be produced,

for which purpose the machine may be equipped with automatically controlled transfer cams, or selective needle transfer mechanism for action upon butts on the sliders in the manner well understood in the art. With this machine is combined lap or wrap or embroidery mechanism and stitch or loop transferring mechanism arranged suchwise that the lap or wrap or embroidery thread and the transferred loops or. stitches are presented to the same needles. These mechanisms include individually operable thread guiding elements I and loop or stitch transferring elements 8, the said elements being arranged in the manner shown in Figure 3 so that there are two of them, i. e. a thread guiding element 1 and a transferring element 8, for each of the needles required to co-operate in the production of the characteristic novel effects. As shown in Figure 1, the elements I and 8 extend and are movable at right angles, i. e. transversely, with respect to the needles 4.

The respective elements maybe of any form suitable for the intended purpose. Advantageously, each of the thread guiding elements I is of blade-like form and, as shown in Figure 1, is recessed or equivalently formed at Id at its lower edge in the region of its operative end suchwise as to provide at said end a downwardly directed right-angular extension lb which is laterally bent in the manner depicted in Figure 3. This extension is thereby obliquely disposed with respect to the main portion of the thread guiding element, and has formed therein two thread receiving holes 9 and I0 disposed one above the other, A further hole is formed in that portion of the element adjacent to the extension lb.

-The upper edge of each element I is so formed as ment is in the form of a nib 8b and the element also hasa loop engaging shoulder 80 at a suitable distance from the tip. As in the case of the elements I, the upper edge of each element 8 is also so formed as to provide thereon an op- I crating butt 8d, but whereas the butts 10 on the thread guiding elements are long, the butts 8d are short so as to facilitate selective actuation of the respective elements by cams of any conventional or suitable form and arrangement.

If desired, and as shown in Figure 3, the transfer elements 8 may be used in pairs, i. e. left hand and right hand, so as to enable a loop such as st, or loops, thereon to be spread laterally in opposite directions for transference to those adjoining needles bracketed together.

To enable a diversity of pattern or fancy eiiects to be produced the thread guiding elements I and the transfer elements 8 may be selectively operated, such for example as by meansof a patterning device or pattern controlled cams or other parts or members adapted to operate upon butts on the elements. In the particular example illustrated, there are provided selector jacks l2 with selecting butts 12a thereon suchwise that when assembled the selectors present 'banks or groups of butts respectively in different planes for action upon by respective selecting cams l3 and I4. Each of the elements 1 and 8 is cut away on its underside to accommodate the corresponding selector jack l2 and to present a shoulder against which the forward end of the said selector can act. At its rear end each of the selector jacks is formed with a right-angular extension I 21) upon which the selecting butts l2a are formed. These butts are provided at respectively difierent levels so as to be located in correspondingly difierent planes heightwise. If desired, and as shown, the selector Jacks may initially be formed with a full complement of frangible butts I2a which can be readily broken 03 according to requirements. At the or each feed of the machine one of the cams l3 and II is provided for selecting thread guiding elements I, whereas the other of said cams serves to select transfer elements 8. Each of these selecting cams is horizontally disposed and movable vertically into difierent planes. For convenience in operation, however, the selecting butts |2a are divided into upper and lower groups A and B, the butts of one of these. two groups serving the thread guiding elements and the butts of the other group serving the transfer elements. Thus, the movements of the selecting cams i3 and II at the or each feed are restricted, each cam being movable only to such an extent as to enable it to be moved into any one of the planes of the butts in the corresponding group. By this safeguard it is consequently impossible to effect a selection either of the transfer elements or of the thread guiding elements by. the wrong selecting cam.

Alternatively, instead of providing selector jacks, the selecting butts may be provided directly on the elements themselves.

In any event, each of the selecting cams i3 and ii is attached to the lower end of a ver= tically disposed operating rod or slide such as it which is suitably spring influenced and arranged for movement up-and down in the directions of the arrows. The operating rods or slides extend to the top of the machine and are pattern controlled through any suitable intermediate connections from a device or unit all substantially as described in the specification of United States Letters Patent No. 2,292,9 ll.

The elements 1 and ii are mounted in a dial i? which is mounted horizontally within the needle cylinders 2 and 3 concentrically therewith. A commoncam system is provided for imparting the requisite movements to the said elements. There is an element l and an element 8 for 'every needle 4, and these elements are located in difierent radial tricks it, there being twice the number of tricks 18 in the dial as there are tricks 19 in the needle cylinders, as clearly shown in Figure 2.. Alternatively, the respective elements may be mounted, side by side, or one above another in the same tricks, in which case there would be as many tricks as there are tricks I9. In another arrangement the said elements may be locatedrespectively in tricks formed in opposite faces of a common dial.

Instead of being mounted in acommon dial as just described, the two serids of elements I and 8 may be accommodated in separate tricked carriers having associated therewith separate The dial and ring are formed with complementary flanges 11a and 22b. A clamping ring 22c is attached to the dial I'I whereby these flanges are pressed together and the dial is gripped in position. Tricks 22d are cut in the ring 22 to accommodate the elements! and 8. The support 23 is also flanged at 23c so as to enable it to be arranged for movement circumferentially between two superposed supporting rings 24 and 25 attached both to each other and to the lower end of the rib cylinder 3. This construction is such as to enable the elements in the dial I! to be shogged in relation to the needle cylinders by any suitable known or other mechanism. The dial ll normally rotates with the said cylinders and is located at such a level that the operative extremities of the thread guiding elements 1 and transfer elements 8 (which elements are. arranged in a. circular series) are projectable and retractable in the spacebetween the opposed needle cylinders, that is to say, in this particular instance, between the flange 22a and the nibs 26a of inside sinkers or web holders 26 associated with the plain cylinder 2.

Preferably the transfer elements 8 are so formed and arranged as to be adapted upon appropriate actuation thereof :to effect the transference of sinker wale loops such as sl (Figure 3) to adjacent needle wales to form pelerine stitches. Sinker wale loops by reason of such transference are, of course, meshed with adjacent knitted loops as a result of which holes or eyelets are formed in. the sinker wales. Accordingly, by efiecting loop'transference at different wales and in different courses adiversity of openwork effects can be produced. Thus, desired transfer elements are first partially advanced by the appropriate selecting cam to an extent just suificient to enable yarn y to be collected, i. e. laid over, their nibs 81). At this stage in the knitting operation the nibs of such elements function as sinkers over which sinker loops 51 are drawn. In Figure 3 is shown a sinker loop .91 which has been gathered by a pair of elements 8 prior to being spread laterally for transference to successive plain needles i. Selected transfer elements 8 are subsequently fully advanced so that the sinker wale loops previously drawn over the nibs 8b are caused to slide back along the instruments until they are caught and held by the loop engaging shoulders 80. In this way the sinker wale loops are spread laterally suchwise as to enable them to be readily penetrated by rising plain needles 6. Thereafter the elements 8 are withdrawn to their original positions for re-selection. Distended sinker wale loops are thereupon left on the appropriate plain needles and subsequently meshed with knitted loops in needle wales to form palerine stitches as aforesaid. In the case of a multifeeder machine, selected transfer elements may collect yarn and have sinker loops drawn over asoaou them more than once at successive feeds before transferring the loops to needles.

In Figure 3 the yarn u is also shown being knitted together with the separate embroidery thream t.. I

Interconnection of the embroidery thread or threads with loops of the ground fabric in the formation of the characteristic novel eilfects or/and to avoid or shorten loose portions or floats is achieved by passing the said thread or threads round an appropriate needle or needles suchwise as to be knocked over with a loop or loops already on the needle or needles without entering the hook or hooks. Thus, referring to Figure 4, the portion 1: of the thread t therein depicted has been knocked over with a knitted loop pa" without entering the hook in of the needle 4 To this end means are provided for moving the said needle or needles and the thread feeding means relatively lengthwise of the needle or needles, whereby when the said feeding means are operated in the usual manner the thread or threads is or are passed round the needle orneedles further from the hook or hooks than normally, for example below the latch or latches of a latch needle or needles, or in the case of a bearded needle or needles so that the thread or threads do not reach the heard or beards before the latter is or are pressed during the knitting movements. For example, mechanism of any conventional form may be provided for selectively moving needles lengthwise in relation to the thread feeding means, or/and for moving the said thread feeding means lengthwise of the needles. In the case of thread feeding means of the type including, individually operable thread guides, as hereinbefore described, and adapted to supply their respective threads each to a needle or to a I group of two or more needles, selec of any appropriatetvp such as arotarypatterning device, with or without intermediate cams or other elements adapted to be selectively operated, or a jacquard mechanism, may. be provided 'for action upon the said-needles or guides, or on patterning butts thereon, for imparting the additional movement to the needle or guides. Thus propriate character adapted to suit the machine to which they are to be applied for the purpose of by appropriate arrangement and actuation of the may be formed or/and arranged so that their operative portions move respectively in different planes with the operative portions of the transfer elenents nearer to the adjacent hooks a of the ne es.

Means may be furnished in the machine for effecting shagging movement of the elements I and 8 and the appropriateneedle cylinder, one in relation to the other, i. e. varying the relative positions of the elements and the associated needles laterally so as further'to diversify the effects or/and so that different yarns may be supplied to the same needles in order to produce contrasting, e. g. diflerent coloured. eflects in thesameneedle waleorwales.

In the circular knitting machine such as that illustrated in the drawings, a trick ring or series of knocking-over hits such as 21 may be provided in association with the needles 4 to facilitate production of purl stitches and said ring or bits may be movably arranged and controlled so as to enable same to be moved clear of the said elements when the latter are to function. For example, knockingever bits constructed, arranged and operated as described in our co-pending application Serial No. 451,044 may be adopted.

It will be understood that a links and links knitting machine is adapted to produce purl stitch effects and ordinary or/and fancy ribbed fabric as the result ofappropriate control and operation of the needles, and in a circular knitting machine of this type the aforesaid ring or bits may be utilised to facilitate the knitting of ribbed fabric and especially broad ribbed fabric.

Anyconvenient means may be employed in the machine for producing a welt, as for example in a' circular machine as described in United Kingdom'Speciilcation No. 391,212.

Since, as already alluded to herein, it may be desired vtoform separating or parting courses,

e. g. on plain needles. orto supplya draw thread, any conventional means suitably controlled and operated may be adopted in the improved machine for this purpose. 7

Provision may also be made in the machine for varying the quality of the fabric, e. g. for knitting fects to be restricted to aparticular area or areas,

and an area or areas of a desiredprlmary stitch I fabric or any conventional stitch variation, such respectively supplying the patterning thread to prearranged or selected needles, and eflecting 1 loop or stitch transference, the essential and distinguishing difference sofaras the present in vention is concerned being the arrangement of the respective elements 1 and I suchwise that there are two elements, 1. e. a thread guiding element and a transferring element, adapted to serve a needle or any desired needle in co-opera as tuck effects, miss-stitch eifects, mock or fancy rib effects, orcombination of stitch variations, as well understood in the art, with or without welts and separating. or parting. courses or thelntroduction of draw threads, to'be produced in desired longitudinal sequence.

tlon with which the characteristic novel eifects are to be produced so that both function in conjunction with the same needle. In anyevent,

however, to enable the said effects to be achieved the respective elements must be formed or/and In a machine having two or morefeeders there may be more than one lap or wrapping and transferring location with appropriate operating means'thereat. i

- If desired, the machine may includeymeans for effecting shogging movement of the needle be'ds one in relation to the other so as to enable racked rib and like eifects to be produced.

For the production of fabric in the form of a stocking, half-hose, child's or ankle sock or like article, such article may be made with a split foot and accordingly, in a circular seamless hose machine adapted to produce said articles, means may be provided for feeding separate yarns to transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, the elements being arranged suchwise that there is a thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to co-operate in the production of fancy effects, and said elements being formed at their operatve ends with laterally ofl'set portions, for the purpose specified.

2. In a knitting machine, in combination, needles, means for feeding yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, and mechanism including individually operable right and left hand loop transferring elements arranged in pairs so as to enable ,loops received thereon to be spread laterally in opposite directions for transference to adjoining needles, the elements being arranged suchwise that there is a thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to co-operate in the production of fancy effects.

3. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, axially opposed plain and rib needle cylinders, needles operable in said cylinders, sliders in the cylinder for actuating the needles and enabling the latter to be transferred from one cylinder to the other as occasion demands, means forfeeding yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, a further mechanism including individually operable loop transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, and a common tricked carrier in which the two kinds of elements are so arranged in a single circular series that their operative ends are located and movable between the opposed needle cylinders, and there is a thread guiding element and a loop transferring element to each needle required to co-operate in the production of fancy efiects.

4. In combination, in a circular knitting ma chine, axially opposed needle cylinders having aligned tricks formed therein, needles operable in said cylinders, sliders in the tricks for actuating the needles and enabling the latter to be transferred from one cylinder to the other as occasion demands, means for feeding yarn to said'needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable wrap thread guides adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, mechanism including individually operable pelerine instruments for transferringsinker loops to adjoining needles to form pelerine stitches, a common tricked carrier in which the aforesaid guides and instruments are so ar-- being located in different tricks in the carrier so that there are twice the number of tricks in the latter as there are tricks for the needles, and means for selectively operating the guides and instruments, for the purpose herein specified.

5. In a knitting machine of the links and links type, in combination, opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds, sliders in the beds adapted for actuating the needles and for transferring desired needles from one bed to the other for varying the primary stitch formation, means for feeding main yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism for feeding thread to and wrapping it around desired needles, and loop transferring mechanism arranged for transferring loops of main yarn to the same needles.

6. In a knitting machine of the links and links type, in combination, opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds, sliders in the beds adapted for actuating the needles and for transferring desired needles from one bed to the other for varying the primary stitch formation, means for feeding main yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, and mechanism including individually operable loop transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, the elements being arranged suchwise that there is a thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to'cooperate in the production of fancy effects.

7. In a knitting machine of the links and links type, in combination, opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds,

sliders in the beds adapted for actuating the is a thread guiding element and a pelerine instrument for each needle required to cooperate in the production of fancy stitch effects.

8. In a knitting machine of the links and links type, in combination, opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds, sliders in the beds adapted fOr actuating. the needles and for transferring desired needles from one bed to the other for varying the primary stitch formation, means for feeding main yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, mechanism including individually operable loop transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, the elements being arranged suchwise that there is a thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to cooperate in the productionof fancy effects, and means for selectively operating the thread guiding elements and the transferring elements, for the purpose specified.

9. In a knitting machine of the links and links type, in combination, opposed needle beds, double-ended needles for operation in said beds, sliders in the beds adapted for actuating the needles and for transferring desired needles from one bed to the other for varying the primary stitch formation, means for feeding main yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desired needles, mechanism including individually operable loop transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, and a carrier having a set of grooves in which the thread guiding elements are located and an entirely separate set of grooves in which the loop transferring elements are located, said elements being so arranged that there is a thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to cooperate in the production of fancy effects, for the purpose herein specified.

10. In combination, in a circular knitting machine, axially opposed plain and rib needle cylinders, double-ended needles operable in said cylinders, sliders in the cylinders for actuating the needles and enabling the latter to be transferred from one cylinder to the other as occasion demands, means for feeding yarn to said needles and for causing the latter to draw loops of said yarn, wrap mechanism including individually operable thread guiding elements adapted to feed thread to and wrap it around desiredneedles. mechanism including individually operable loop transferring elements adapted to transfer loops to needles, the elements being arranged suchwise that there isa thread guiding element and a transferring element for each needle required to cooperate in the production of fancy 'eflects, and means for moving the needles and the thread guiding elements relatively lengthwise of the needles, whereby when the thread guiding elements are operated normally the threads are passed around the desired needles below the latches thereof, for the purpose herein specified.

EDWIN WILDT.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES.

JOHN CYRIL HERBERT HURD. 

